A Bunch Of 'X's and 'O's
by formerlyknownasone
Summary: Oliver doesn't know why everyone signs off their letter with 'XOXO's... Nor does he know what it means. Katie Bell shows him its true meaning. A KBOW oneshot. Read, and Review!


**Hey I know you guys want me to write the whole Newton's third law or the Potions and Quidditch chapter thing, but I couldn't resist doing this oneshot. It is a KBOW (obviously!). I found it really cute. **

**Self-advert: If some of you didn't read my Potions and Quidditch or Newton thing, go read it now! And review if you can!!!! **

**Actually, do that for all my stories. **

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A Bunch Of 'X's and 'O's**

He still didn't get it.

After seventeen years, Oliver Wood still didn't know what they meant… he still just didn't get it.

For years and years he had received countless letters brought him by owls. Whether they had been written to him by his mum, his friends or even his baby sister, they all ended off with the same ridiculous thing. Even the countless fan mail he had received from his ardent fans ended off the same silly way ( not that he expected otherwise from those stupid giggly girls).

With a bunch of 'X's and 'O's.

It didn't make any sense. And it bugged Oliver for some very strange reason.

he owls arrived in the Great Hall earlier than usual this morning. Two letters plopped onto Oliver's lap and a third ended up in his bowl of cereal. All of them were addressed to him.

Abandoning his breakfast, he slowly picked up the dripping letter and wiped the drenched paper against his napkin, before leaving it to dry off on the table. He then proceeded to read one of the letters.

_Dear Oliver,_

_Hope you are doing well in your studies. Try not to play too much Quidditch, and don't over exert yourself or the team!_

_Busy right now with the stove, so talk to you next time. _

_Love,_

_Mom_

_XOXO _

_Ps: Stay away from the twins as much as you can._

XOXO. Whatever that meant. Oliver shrugged and folded the letter back into its creases, and placed it inside the envelope. He opened the next letter. It was a fan mail.

_Dearest Ollie!_

_I love you! Marry Me!_

_Marie Cara _

_XOXO_

He crumpled this one and tossed it carelessly away. Another one of those XOXO things again. Damn, he hated those.

He finally picked up the milk-drenched envelope and dabbed it on his napkin again. The ink was smudged badly by now, but still clear enough for him to recognise the untidy scrawl_ Oliver Woo__d_. His sister's.

_Oliber, _

_How are you? Me is fine thank you. Miss you a lot. _

_Mandy Wood_

_XOXO_

Silently Oliver cursed, but immediately regretted it. After all Mandy was only five, how would she know what those darn _XOXO_'s meant, or that her elder brother didn't know either? It wasn't her fault he detested those bunches of 'X's and 'O's.

It bugged Oliver that he didn't know what it meant. Everyone seemed to use it, or at least, know what it meant. He was burning to find out of course, but he couldn't just ask someone. How embarrassing would it be for someone his age to ask the meaning of it when a five year old could already _write_ it. So Oliver didn't pursue the matter as but remained unsatisfied at the mystery of those 'X's and 'O's.

To Oliver, those little 'X's and 'O's only had one real purpose: for his plays. He would only write out those 'X's (or crosses) to represent his Quidditch team, while he drew round 'O's (or circles) to represent his opponents. He would then bewitch the little 'X's and 'O's in his diagrams to move around in squiggly lines, occasionally making the ''X's fly in certain Quidditch formations that resembled those of Puddlemere United.

These were the only times where Oliver Wood didn't mind those 'X's or 'O's flying in front of his face. And to him, this was what those things should _only_ exist for: Quidditch plays.

Which was what he was doing an hour later in the Common Room. Drawing little 'X's and 'O's on the parchment.

Of course, not those that people used to sign off letters. Those _for _Quidditch plays. There was a _difference_. Those he used in Quidditch plays, he insisted, were _circles_ and _crosses_, not '_X's_ and '_O's_. He hated them, those blasted 'X's and 'O's.

What he didn't know though (besides the meaning of those '_XOXO_' things) was that someone was about to make him change his mind about them.

Oliver was surveying the plays he'd just sketched. Usually he would be thinking of ways to improve them, and was able to visualise the players flying in those moments he created. But for some unfathomable reason, today all he could see was those irksome 'X's and 'O's taunting him.

He chucked away the paper with distaste.

This simple action, simple yet noticable, caught the eye of one of his chasers. To Katie Bell, it was very strange to see her captain not caressing his papers fondly, and even stranger to see him throw a look of disgust at his precious plays.

Something was wrong.

And she told him so too as she approached the frustrated-looking captain. When Oliver gave a genuine confused look that simply signaled the words ' What are you talking about?'.She rolled her eyes at her clueless captain. Obviously Quidditch was messing with his brain.

" These," she said, indicating those crumpled up plays on the floor. " Are what I'm talking about. You always treat them so well. So why are you suddenly throwing them looks of hate and loathing?"

Oliver sighed. While he was relieved that there was someone to share his anger, he was slightly reluctant to tell Katie the truth. At last though, he said, gesturing to the culprits,

" It's those bunch of 'X's and 'O's."

" 'X's and 'O's?" Katie echoed, not understanding what her captain was talking about.

Slowly Oliver explained the entire situation to her. How those stupid 'X's and 'O's irritated the heck out of him, and how everyone seemed to uses them like there was no tomorrow. When he finished telling his patient chaser the story, he saw her shaking her head, a broad smile plastered across her pretty face.

"What?" he demanded hotly. He knew Katie well enough to understand that one of these smiles had an underlying, not so innocent meaning to it.

"That's not the only reason you hate it, is it? That people used it too often?" She asked, folding her arms, still shaking her head smilingly.

" What do you mean?" Oliver said, puzzled.

" You hate it because you don't know what it stands for." Katie replied, more a statement then a question.

" No!" he denied loudly, his cheeks burning slightly.

Katie let out one of those really lovely laughs, the kind of laughter that ring in Oliver's ears long after he heard it. But in a good way. It was a while before she could control her peals of laughter and start speaking.

" Oliver, you don't know what it means."

"No, I don't." He admitted.

" You can ask me, you know. You could have asked me a long time ago." Katie said.

" I was afraid you would laugh, like_ just now_." He replied pointedly.

" I won't laugh now."

" Fine!" Oliver said exasperatedly " What do those 'XOXO's mean?"

" Oliver, those bunch of 'X's and 'O's that you despised so much, just stands for _hugs and kisses._"

There was a moment of silence.

" Is that all?" he asked incredulously.

" That_ is_ all."

If he was blushing seconds ago, he definitely was on fire now. He felt really stupid that those 'XOXO's had such a simple explanation to it that he didn't know, and felt even worse now after realising that the meaning of those 'X's and 'O's was even stupider than the letters themselves.

Especially if it meant something so ridiculous.

He _definitely_ hated it now.

" I don't get it. Does the 'X' stand for hugs and 'O' for kisses or something? Why would everyone include those XOXO inside their letters?" He cried out wildly.

" It's sweet!" Katie said, looking slightly offended. she rather liked the X's and O's.

" It's dumb and silly! 'O's for kisses???" Oliver argued.

" How can it be? I think it's a nice way to end a note."

" You know what? I think those stupid 'X's and 'O's better stick to Quidditch after all. It's better that way .I just don't see what's so great about it." he commented.

He thought Katie would look slightly furious, or at least fight back about it. But to his surprise, Katie simply smiled.

" Fine," She said simply. "If you can't see it, I will _show _you what is so great about it."

And with that, Katie pulled him into a hug, and, standing on the tip of her toes, softly pressed her lips against his own. Oliver did not hesitate to respond to the kiss. It felt that good.

But as if to punish him for his earlier statement, Katie pulled back suddenly, and thus ended Oliver's enjoyment.

" You think that those 'X's and 'O's are still better to leave for Quidditch, huh?"she said teasingly, but not before giving him another quick kiss and running out of the common room.

For a couple of moments, Oliver could not blink. He was momentarily stunned by the previous events, and was even more stunned by the realisation that he actually enjoyed it. All of it. Katie, the kiss, and those_ lovel_y 'X's and 'O's.

Katie did not return to the common room in the next five minutes like he hoped she would. Perhaps he should write her a short letter.

Still unable to wipe the grin off his face, Oliver quickly picked up the quill he had abandoned minutes before and scribbled on the parchment. He wrote for a minute or so with no hesitation, but as he neared the end of the letter, he stopped momentarily, before proceeding to write the next few letters, smiling.

_Dear Katie, _

_You are right after all. Those letters are not that silly after all. And there is more to them than Quidditch... You. _

_Love, _

_Your Oliver _

_**XOXO**_

Oliver scanned through the letter. Suddenly those 'X's and 'O's were not as iirritating as before, and in fact, he rather like the sight of them now. All he wanted now was for Katie to come back.

He read the letter again, and decided, for good measure, to add in a couple more of large, very round 'O's at the back of the '_XOXO_' , before sending the note with his owl.

_Hopefully Katie wil__l get __the hint. _

OOOOOO

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**I hope you ****guys get the whole last part... The OOOO thing. Tell me if you don't. **

**Anyway I'm like so grateful to xx.just. The kind soul who beta-ed my story. **

**Anyway I'm like, really worried now. My O Level results (it's an international exam for those who don't know) are coming out in a week... What if I did badly? Would I get all my A's? What would I do if I don't? I'm really scared and nervous because I really really hope I will do well. It's really the thing I want most right now... to do well.**

**O level's are seriously killing my nerves. Sometimes when I think about it I would get all jumpy and twitchy. If I don't get the results I want, I don't know how i would react. **

**So please, to sooth my nerves, PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!! (I'm not kidding, I hope it will make me feel better)**


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